Toy amusement apparatus



Aug. 26 1924.

A. HETZNER T OY AMUS EMENT APPARATUS Q inal Filed Feb. 27, 1922 INVENTOR U parts in the several views.

In the accompanying drawing: 7

v the track. v Fig. 5, is an enlarged transverse sectional plurality of two ormoresections tobe secured-together as a single rigid base Reiasued Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HETZNER, or cmceeo, rumors, AssIGNon TO BENJAMIN 1*. rain, or

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOY mosmnrnranaros.

Originallo. 1,481,888, dated October 10, 1922, Serial No. 589,612, filed February 2'7, $22.

for reissue filed February 26, 1994. Serial No. 605,385.

To all whom it may conm'm:

Be it known that I, ALBERT Hmivnn, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Amusement Aipparatus, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to that class of toys in which a. car or the like has rapid downward travel in a track of a tortuous or curved formation, and has for its objects To provide a structural formation and combination of parts whereby a sectional and folding structure is provided capable of ready assemblage, disassemblage and compact storage when not required for use, and with which anefl'ective connection and bracing of the parts is attained in the assembled condition thereof. I

To provide a simple switch-back construction of the track portion of the structure where an automatic return of the car is all in an edficient manner.

' To provide a structural track formation adapted to provide a cheap and durable construction with which the endsof the sections of track are readily and securely connected. together, all as will hereinaftermore fully pp r;

"Fig." 1,-is a perspective view illustrating the general arrangement of parts in the present improvement and in an assembled condition ready for use.

Fig." 2, is atop view of the same.

Fig. 3, is a detail vertical section of the track and its folding brace.

' Fig. 4, is an enlarged detail perspective view of the starting trigger'at one end of elevation on a plane cutting the center of the circular loop portion of the track. 'gLike" reference numerals indicate like Referring to the drawi V 1 designates the supporting base, prefers ly of the rectan in sectional plate metal form shown, at

the side rails thereof formed into a adapted structure by means of overlapping ends having aligned lateral pins and orifices 2, and with aligned orifices 3 adapted to receive in a detachable manner the laterally bent lower ends of the central track brace hereinafter described.

4 designates the sectional main track of the inclined and tortuous formation hereinafter described, and formed of stripsv of sheet metal the margins of which are formed with rolls or beads 5 which embrace wire cores 6 to constitute a double line of railway rails as shown. In the sectional formation of the present improvement, the wire core 6 is omitted from one end of a track section toleave a. tubular recess, and the wire cores 6 project from the adjacent end of another track section, so that with the insertion of the described projecting portions of the cores into the bore of the roll or bead 5 of the other section, a simple, sub- Application:

stantial and detachable connection of the 7 parts is attained as illustrated more particir inclined portion 8 in a manner hereinafter i point described, with its track rails arranged in v the interior of the loop portion. 10 and 10 represent a pair of track portions in spaced or gapped relation to each other, and inclined reversely to the incline of the por tion '8. The track portion 10 is connected to the adjacent end of theloop portion 9 to receive the travelling car therefrom. The track portion 10 forms the ingress or admission track of the automatic switch-back which Serves to reverse the direction of the cars travel.

The switch-back comprises the ingress tracklO the spur 10", with the inclined, lateral ollset 11 interposed between the ingresstrack and the spur, and the egress track or downwardly inclined branch 12. The outer end of the spur track 10 is provided with an upturned flange or bumper;

10 against which the car strikes and which serves to halt and reverse the direction of the travel of the car; so that after the car enters the spur by the ingress track, it leaves the spur by the egress track. The switching of the onto the e ress track 12- IS caused by the offset 11 wich revents the car reenter-ing the ingress trac 10. This ofiset is shown provided by the difi'erence in levels at the point of juncture of the ingress track and the spur, the former being. at somewhat higher elevation, thus forming a shoulder over which the entering car jumps and which defines the side of the egress track 12 so that the returning car is switched or diverted into the latter.

13 is an approximately horizontal track portion, in aligned relation to the egress track 12 of the switch-back, and detachably connected to the latter in the manner already described. The track portions 12 and 13 form the low-level return track for the-automatic delivery of the toy car 14, or other travelling element, to a point beneath the startin platform 7, so that the car may be lifted cm the end of the low-level return track and replaced on the starting platform 7. 15 designates a pivoted trig er plate mounted transversely at an end oi the platform 7 and adapted to provide means, under the control of the operator, for giving a more or less energetic starting push to the car 14 in starting the same in its travel upon. the track 4., With the described construction the extended inclined portion 8 of the track is adapted to impart added momentum to the car 14 suflicient to carry the same around the circular loop portion 9 and onto the track portion 10. The momentum of the car causes it to jump the ga between the track portions 10 and 10 an to travel up the track portion 10.to the spur 10" wherein its direction of'travel is reversed, causin the car to pass down along the low-leve return formed by the track portions 12 and 13 to the front of the toy beneath the starting platform 7.

16 designates an arched brace of wire, the apex of which has detachable connection with the crown of the loop ortion 9, with the lower ends of its s rea ingv arms formed with laterally exten mg prongs or bends 17 adapted to engage in the heretofore described all ed orifices 3 of the overlapside rai s of the sectional base 1 to secure the parts together in assembled relation.

18 designates a series-of braces or supports of a V or arched shape hinged to ifierent portions of track 4" and having at their lower ends prongs or bends adapted to engage in orifices formed therefor in the bars or plates which constitute the base 1 of the apparatus.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a sectional track adapted to support a moving car and formed with an aligned starting platform, a main inclined portion, an intermediate loop portion and secondary inclined portions, a supporting base formed in sections having overlapping ends, lateral stud and orifice connections for said ends, and an arched brace engaging the crown of the loop portion of the track and having prongs at its lower ends for engagement 1n aligned orifices in the overlapping ends of the track sections.

2. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a track ada ted to support a moving car and forme with an aligned starting platform, a main inclined portion, an intermediate loop portion, and secondary inclined portions, said track comprising sections of sheet metal having folded margins enclosing wire cores and constituting the side rails of the track, and a base supporting track.

3. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a track adapted to support a moving car and formed with an aligned starting platform, a main inclined portion, an intermediate loop portion, and secondary inclined portions, said track comprising sections of sheet metal having folded margins enclosing wire cores and constituting the side rails of the track, the end of one track section havin its cores removed to provide receiving soc ets and the end of an adjacent track section havin its wire cores rojecting to engage in said sockets, and a ase supporting the track.

4. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a track adapted to sup ort a moving car and formed with an a igned starting platform, a main inclined portion, an intermediate loop portion, and secondary inclined portions having at a remote end an inclined offset, a return track comprising 'a downwardly inclined and aligned horizontal portion, and a base supporting the tracks.

5. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a track adapted to support a moving car and formed with an aligned starting platform, a main inclined portion, an intermediate loopportion, and secondary inclined portions separated by a gap, the remote end of one of said secondary inclined portions having an inclined ofiset a return track comprising a downwardly 1nclined and aligned horizontal portion, and a base supporting said tracks. 6. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a track adapted to support a moving car and formed with an aligned starting platform, a main inclined portion, an intermediate loop portion, and secondary inclined ortions, a plurality of arched braces ivotalIy connected to said track with their ower ends formed with lateral prongs, and a supporting base formed for detachable engagement with said prongs.

In a mechanical toy, a track structure adapted for the support of a travelling object and comprisin an inclined main track down'which the object travels, a helical loop track connected to the lower end of the inclined track, a low-level return track, and automatic means for switching the travelling object to the low-level return track after it has traversed the helical loop track.

In a mechanical toy, a track structure adapted for the support of a travelling object and comprising an inclined main track down which the object travels, a jump-gap connected with the lower end of the inclined traclx, a low-level return track, and automatlc means for switching the travelling object to the low-level return track after has traversed the jump-gap.

In a mechanical toy, a track structure for the support of a travelling object and comprising an inclined main track down which the object travels, a helical loop-track and a jump-gap connected with the lower end of the Inclined track, a low-level return track, and automatic means for switching the car to the low-level return track after it has traversed the jump-gap and helical looptrack.

10. In a mechanical toy characterized by a track structure for the support of a travelling object, a switch-back for the track comprising a single-track spur upon which the travel of the object is reversed, an ingress track and an e ess track forming branches of said spur, anflixed switching means whereby a travelling object entering the spur the ingress track is on its return travel matically diverted to the e ess track.

11. In a mechanical toy c aracterized by a track structure for the support of a travelling object, a switch-back fior the track structure comprising a single-track spur upon which the travel of the object is re versed, an ingress track and an egress track forming branches of said spur, and an offset between the ingress track and the spur over which the entering car passes and which diverts the car on its return travel to the egress track.

12. In a mechanical toy characterized b a track structure for the supportof a travel ling object, a switch-back for thetrack structure comprising a single-track spur upon which the travel of the object is reversed, an ingress track and an egress track forming branches of said spur, and a descending offof the ingress track over object passes and which diverts the object on its return travel to the egress track.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this th day of February, 1924.

ALBERT HETZNER.

from auto- 

